One of the great things about this lean and affordable protein is that it is very versatile. Here, we’ve combined the meat with both sweet and savory components to create a really stellar dish. Check it out!

Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Cherries and Shallots

The first step is to create this simple seasoning rub for the pork, consisting of cumin, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Only 1/8th of a teaspoon of cinnamon is required, which adds only a very subtle, sweet warmth – nothing overpowering by any means.

This dish requires the use of a heavy-duty oven-safe skillet. I have a Lodge enameled cast iron skillet that I received as a Christmas present which worked perfectly for the task.

First, to my screaming hot pan, I added a tablespoon of canola oil, and seared one side of my seasoned pork tenderloin for about four minutes.

After four minutes, turn the pork over, then carefully (with oven mitts!) place the entire pan into a preheated 425 F oven for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, remove the skillet from the oven, and set the pork aside to rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, to your same skillet add another tablespoon of canola oil, 8 oz pitted sweet cherries, and shallots (I substituted sliced red onion for the quartered shallots). Season with 1/4 tsp salt. Yes, it felt totally weird sprinkling cherries with salt but just do it!

Place the pan back in the oven, and roast the cherries and shallots for 10 minutes.

Now, pull that pan back outta the oven. Yes, this recipe requires lots of in-and-out of the oven. It’s a workout.

To your cherries and shallots, add chicken stock, balsamic vinegar, and brown sugar, and let simmer until the mixture has thickened to a syrupy consistency, over medium-high heat (around 4-5 minutes).

Next, remove the pan from heat, and add a pat of butter to finish the sauce!

At this point, your pork tenderloin should be sufficiently rested, and it may be sliced thinly. Here is how my pork looked prior to adding the pan sauce.

Complete the pork dish by topping with that luscious balsamic cherry and shallot sauce!

A perfect side dish for this recipe is a Quick Cabbage Slaw – found this recipe over at Cooking Light (look in the pork recipe description) and it is so easy! We were big fans of the slaw – green cabbage and parsley simply dressed in olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper. This will be a new go-to side dish for us.

And the pork? Well the pork was absolutely wonderful. The balsamic vinegar balances out the sweetness of the cherries, while the cumin and cinnamon rub on the pork lend a complementary warmness to the dish that goes so well with the sweet cherries. This dish is certainly a winner! Huz loved it too.